Taste Radio

As the founder of Popchips, Keith Belling helped usher in a new era for healthy snacking. Twelve years after the brand's launch, he's attempting to do the same for rice with RightRice, Belling's second food brand that debuted in February.

In an interview included in this episode, Belling explained that RightRice is in many ways the culmination of an entrepreneurial career that's spanned law, real estate, online publishing and consumer products. At every stage, Belling said, his passion to solve personal, unmet needs drove the launch of new business ventures.

"There's entrepreneurs that… finish one business and flick a switch and they're onto the new one," he said. "I've definitely never been that way. For me something has to start with a real passion, something that's important to me and fills a need. That ends up mapping an opportunity in the market, and then it starts to get interesting."

As part of our conversation, discussed the origins of Popchips and RightRice and how lessons learned from building the former are being applied to the latter. He also spoke about the importance of branding and why he's overinvested in package design, how celebrity investors like Ashton Kutcher supported the development of Popchips and the challenges of leveraging success. This episode is presented by ZoomEssence, the cool-tech powder flavor people.

Show notes:

2:30: Interview: Keith Belling, Founder, Popchips/RightRice -- In an interview recorded via weblink, Belling spoke about why new business ventures have to start with passion, how he was (almost) ahead of the curve with healthy jerky, and the genesis of his new company, RightRice. He also discussed his background in law and real estate, how the concept of Popchips was formed and why the brand has sought to emulate vitaminwater, and why direct interaction with consumers yielded key lessons in the development of the brand. Belling also explained how Ashton Kutcher became Popchips' "president of pop culture," spoke about the evolution of influencer marketing and its impact on business planning for RightRice, and revealed how the two brands got their names.

Brands in this episode: Popchips, RightRice, Fritos, Krave Jerky, vitaminwater

As the founder of Popchips, Keith Belling helped usher in a new era for healthy snacking. Twelve years after the brand’s launch, he’s attempting to do the same for rice with RightRice, Belling’s second food brand that debuted in February.

In an interview included in this episode, Belling explained that RightRice is in many ways the culmination of an entrepreneurial career that’s spanned law, real estate, online publishing and consumer products. At every stage, Belling said, his passion to solve personal, unmet needs drove the launch of new business ventures.

“There’s entrepreneurs that… finish one business and flick a switch and they’re onto the new one,” he said. “I’ve definitely never been that way. For me something has to start with a real passion, something that’s important to me and fills a need. That ends up mapping an opportunity in the market, and then it starts to get interesting.”

As part of our conversation, discussed the origins of Popchips and RightRice and how lessons learned from building the former are being applied to the latter. He also spoke about the importance of branding and why he’s overinvested in package design, how celebrity investors like Ashton Kutcher supported the development of Popchips and the challenges of leveraging success. This episode is presented by ZoomEssence, the cool-tech powder flavor people.

Show notes:

2:30: Interview: Keith Belling, Founder, Popchips/RightRice -- In an interview recorded via weblink, Belling spoke about why new business ventures have to start with passion, how he was (almost) ahead of the curve with healthy jerky, and the genesis of his new company, RightRice. He also discussed his background in law and real estate, how the concept of Popchips was formed and why the brand has sought to emulate vitaminwater, and why direct interaction with consumers yielded key lessons in the development of the brand. Belling also explained how Ashton Kutcher became Popchips’ “president of pop culture,” spoke about the evolution of influencer marketing and its impact on business planning for RightRice, and revealed how the two brands got their names.

Brands in this episode: Popchips, RightRice, Fritos, Krave Jerky, vitaminwater

Before teaRIOT established a multi-channel retail footprint that stretches across the U.S., and before its acceptance into the Chobani Incubator program, and before its recent $3 million Series A funding round, co-founders Laura and Steve Jakobsen were simply focused on building a brand.

"What does [teaRIOT] look like?," Laura asked in an interview included in this episode. "How does it stand out on shelf? What are our consumers saying? How do we need to change it from the inside of the bottle to the outside of the bottle? We just stayed nimble for two years and made changes in our foundation to really tighten everything up."

Throughout the process, teaRIOT, a brand of organic tea-based energy drinks, leaned heavily on social media to better understand its consumers and how they interacted with the brand and its products.

"[We] not only use social media to publish outward but also to listen and to interact and engage. We always focus on what consumers are doing with our product. If you look at our [Instagram content], it really portrays the vitality of the brand. But in some pictures we don't even have the product. It's really about how people are living, being energized on tea."

That approach has been particularly effective on Instagram, where teaRIOT has gained over 121,000 followers since its launch in 2015.

As part of our interview, Laura and Steve expounded upon their approach to brand building and shared their perspective on the keys to a successful social marketing strategy. They also discussed their experience in the Chobani Incubator and lessons from the program, and explained why teaRIOT's investors must also be consumers of the brand.

Show notes:

1:16: Cassava… On The Cusp -- Just a few days away from NOSH and BevNET Live Summer 2019, the hosts reflected on the New Beverage Showdown 17 competition, munched on cassava-based snacks, sipped on a few innovative new beverages and shared a few recommendations for eating and drinking in New York City.

16:35: Interview: Laura and Steve Jakobsen, Co-Founders, teaRIOT -- In an interview at teaRIOT headquarters in Venice, Calif., BevNET's Mike Schneider spoke with Laura and Steve and engaged in a deep dive into teaRIOT's branding, marketing and social media strategies. As part of our conversation, Laura explained her perspective that "influencers are kind of dead" and why brands should focus on aligning with "real, authentic people in your community." They also discussed why it's important to partner with investors whose lifestyles fit with that of the brand, and how their experience in the Chobani Incubator helped reinvigorate their passion for entrepreneurship and the brand.

Before teaRIOT established a multi-channel retail footprint that stretches across the U.S., and before its acceptance into the Chobani Incubator program, and before its recent $3 million Series A funding round, co-founders Laura and Steve Jakobsen were simply focused on building a brand.

“What does [teaRIOT] look like?,” Laura asked in an interview included in this episode. “How does it stand out on shelf? What are our consumers saying? How do we need to change it from the inside of the bottle to the outside of the bottle? We just stayed nimble for two years and made changes in our foundation to really tighten everything up.”

Throughout the process, teaRIOT, a brand of organic tea-based energy drinks, leaned heavily on social media to better understand its consumers and how they interacted with the brand and its products.

“[We] not only use social media to publish outward but also to listen and to interact and engage. We always focus on what consumers are doing with our product. If you look at our [Instagram content], it really portrays the vitality of the brand. But in some pictures we don’t even have the product. It’s really about how people are living, being energized on tea.”

That approach has been particularly effective on Instagram, where teaRIOT has gained over 121,000 followers since its launch in 2015.

As part of our interview, Laura and Steve expounded upon their approach to brand building and shared their perspective on the keys to a successful social marketing strategy. They also discussed their experience in the Chobani Incubator and lessons from the program, and explained why teaRIOT’s investors must also be consumers of the brand.

Show notes:

1:16: Cassava… On The Cusp -- Just a few days away from NOSH and BevNET Live Summer 2019, the hosts reflected on the New Beverage Showdown 17 competition, munched on cassava-based snacks, sipped on a few innovative new beverages and shared a few recommendations for eating and drinking in New York City.

16:35: Interview: Laura and Steve Jakobsen, Co-Founders, teaRIOT -- In an interview at teaRIOT headquarters in Venice, Calif., BevNET’s Mike Schneider spoke with Laura and Steve and engaged in a deep dive into teaRIOT’s branding, marketing and social media strategies. As part of our conversation, Laura explained her perspective that “influencers are kind of dead” and why brands should focus on aligning with “real, authentic people in your community.” They also discussed why it’s important to partner with investors whose lifestyles fit with that of the brand, and how their experience in the Chobani Incubator helped reinvigorate their passion for entrepreneurship and the brand.

It's the first name in espresso and, not coincidentally, the last name of our interview guest in this week's episode.

Illy has for decades been one of the world's most enduring coffee companies and is renowned for its singular, signature blend of coffee, commitment to quality standards and ethical responsibility. Led by chairman Andrea Illy, the third-generation leader of the Italian company and one of the global coffee industry's most influential figures, Illy revenues topped $540 million in 2018.

As part of a wide-ranging conversation, Andrea spoke about his approach to running his family's business and how it has evolved over the years, the three most important attributes for "good coffee," how consolidation and climate change have impacted the industry and why Illy has long advocated direct trade with coffee farmers. He also explained his perspective that coffee should be treated with the same reverence as wine and why positioning it as an energy drink is "like using a Ferrari to go shopping." This episode is presented by ZoomEssence, the cool-tech powder flavor people.

Show notes:

2:52: Interview: Andrea Illy, Chairman, illycaffè -- Illy met with Taste Radio editor/producer Ray Latif in New York City where he spoke about the company's focus and what differentiates it from other coffee producers. He also discussed the origins of illy brand and of his passion for coffee innovation, the company's contributions to espresso-specific technologies and its pioneering role in direct trade coffee sourcing. Later, he explained the company's approach to consistency in the quality of its coffee, and how climate change threatens to derail the industry's current growth. He also spoke about the impact that Starbucks has had on awareness about and access to better coffee, how entrepreneurial coffee brands are critical to the industry's success ("differentiation is the only alternative to commoditization"), why pricing coffee like wine makes sense, and the importance of maintaining independent ownership of the company.

Brands in this episode: illycaffè, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Starbucks

It’s the first name in espresso and, not coincidentally, the last name of our interview guest in this week’s episode.

Illy has for decades been one of the world’s most enduring coffee companies and is renowned for its singular, signature blend of coffee, commitment to quality standards and ethical responsibility. Led by chairman Andrea Illy, the third-generation leader of the Italian company and one of the global coffee industry’s most influential figures, Illy revenues topped $540 million in 2018.

As part of a wide-ranging conversation, Andrea spoke about his approach to running his family’s business and how it has evolved over the years, the three most important attributes for “good coffee,” how consolidation and climate change have impacted the industry and why Illy has long advocated direct trade with coffee farmers. He also explained his perspective that coffee should be treated with the same reverence as wine and why positioning it as an energy drink is “like using a Ferrari to go shopping.” This episode is presented by ZoomEssence, the cool-tech powder flavor people.

Show notes:

2:52: Interview: Andrea Illy, Chairman, illycaffè -- Illy met with Taste Radio editor/producer Ray Latif in New York City where he spoke about the company’s focus and what differentiates it from other coffee producers. He also discussed the origins of illy brand and of his passion for coffee innovation, the company’s contributions to espresso-specific technologies and its pioneering role in direct trade coffee sourcing. Later, he explained the company’s approach to consistency in the quality of its coffee, and how climate change threatens to derail the industry's current growth. He also spoke about the impact that Starbucks has had on awareness about and access to better coffee, how entrepreneurial coffee brands are critical to the industry’s success (“differentiation is the only alternative to commoditization”), why pricing coffee like wine makes sense, and the importance of maintaining independent ownership of the company.

Brands in this episode: illycaffè, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Starbucks

In this week's episode of Taste Radio Insider, we're joined by Josh Zloof, the co-founder and CEO of Sudden Coffee, an innovative brand of specialty instant coffee. Founded in 2015, Sudden is attempting to revolutionize the $40 billion market for instant coffee by emphasizing its proprietary production process and by focusing on "scalable hospitality."

As part of our conversation, Zloof spoke about Sudden's mission of using an instant product to democratize access to speciality coffee and why it was designed to be "Grandma proof." He also explained how the company has zeroed in on Gen X as its key consumer demographic, discussed the challenges of managing both manufacturing -- Sudden operates its own production facility -- and marketing as a small company, and why he believes that the product attributes of Sudden are more important that the brand itself.

Show notes:

1:42: A Few Sips of "Mud Water," Canned Wine and Candy Milk — You know it's a special episode of Taste Radio Insider when the host gulp Snickers-flavored chocolate milk and wash it down with chai and wine. There's also discussion about people stealing John Craven's Instagram photos, the emergence of the canned wine segment, how Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, Calif. is the epicenter of food and beverage innovation, and why it's a no-brainer for entrepreneurs seeking investment to attend BevNET Live and/or NOSH Live.

13:40: Interview: Josh Zloof, Co-Founder/CEO, Sudden Coffee -- Zloof was visiting from San Francisco to attend the 2019 Specialty Coffee Expo and stopped by BevNET HQ to record an interview with Taste Radio editor/producer Ray Latif. Zloof spoke about the origins of the company and how prior jobs in supply chain logistics and hospitality fueled his interest in coffee. He also discussed how speciality coffee roasters including Intelligentsia have supported its development and reshaped its business model, how Sudden is attempting to create experiential moments for its customers, and why the long-term vision is about "branding the process."

Brands in this episode: Snickers, Twix, MUD/WTR, Cha Cha Matcha, Four Sigmatic, Besa Mi Vino, Lila Wines, Oskar Blues, Sudden Coffee, Taster's Choice, Folgers, Intelligentsia, Starbucks, Equator Coffee, Ritual Coffee, Spark Coffee, Keurig, Dunkin'

In this week’s episode of Taste Radio Insider, we’re joined by Josh Zloof, the co-founder and CEO of Sudden Coffee, an innovative brand of specialty instant coffee. Founded in 2015, Sudden is attempting to revolutionize the $40 billion market for instant coffee by emphasizing its proprietary production process and by focusing on “scalable hospitality.”

As part of our conversation, Zloof spoke about Sudden’s mission of using an instant product to democratize access to speciality coffee and why it was designed to be “Grandma proof.” He also explained how the company has zeroed in on Gen X as its key consumer demographic, discussed the challenges of managing both manufacturing -- Sudden operates its own production facility -- and marketing as a small company, and why he believes that the product attributes of Sudden are more important that the brand itself.

Show notes:

1:42: A Few Sips of “Mud Water,” Canned Wine and Candy Milk — You know it’s a special episode of Taste Radio Insider when the host gulp Snickers-flavored chocolate milk and wash it down with chai and wine. There’s also discussion about people stealing John Craven’s Instagram photos, the emergence of the canned wine segment, how Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, Calif. is the epicenter of food and beverage innovation, and why it’s a no-brainer for entrepreneurs seeking investment to attend BevNET Live and/or NOSH Live.

13:40: Interview: Josh Zloof, Co-Founder/CEO, Sudden Coffee -- Zloof was visiting from San Francisco to attend the 2019 Specialty Coffee Expo and stopped by BevNET HQ to record an interview with Taste Radio editor/producer Ray Latif.  Zloof spoke about the origins of the company and how prior jobs in supply chain logistics and hospitality fueled his interest in coffee. He also discussed how speciality coffee roasters including Intelligentsia have supported its development and reshaped its business model, how Sudden is attempting to create experiential moments for its customers, and why the long-term vision is about “branding the process.”

Brands in this episode: Snickers, Twix, MUD/WTR, Cha Cha Matcha, Four Sigmatic, Besa Mi Vino, Lila Wines, Oskar Blues, Sudden Coffee, Taster’s Choice, Folgers, Intelligentsia,  Starbucks, Equator Coffee, Ritual Coffee, Spark Coffee, Keurig, Dunkin’

Mike Kirban is unquestionably one of the most successful beverage entrepreneurs of all time, but if our interview with him offers any indication, his legacy is far from complete.

Since co-founding Vita Coco in 2004, Kirban has guided the brand to domination in the coconut water space. Distributed over four continents, Vita Coco holds a 26 percent share of the global market for coconut water, which is estimated to be worth $2.5 billion, according to market research firm Euromonitor. Success has attracted many suitors over the years -- PepsiCo was reportedly in talks to acquire the brand in 2017 -- yet Vita Coco has remained independent, a key component of Kirban's plan to build upon the company's foundation and develop a beverage platform focused on better-for-you brands.

"My goal over the next couple of years is to have four or five totally unique brands in-house under (Vita Coco parent company) All Market Inc. that play in different sub-segments of this healthier, functional drinks market," Kirban said. "Coke and Pepsi are really good at certain things, and they've done quite a lot of M&A in this functional beverage space, but their share of better-for-you beverages continues decline. It's not what they're good at. It's not what they're focused on. I believe that opens up this lane for us to just drive right through as we should be the ones who really create the better-for-you beverage company for the next generation."

Within our wide-ranging interview, Kirban also discussed his leadership style, why he hires based on attitude over skill set and how Vita Coco considers innovation and potential acquisitions. He also explained what motivates him to personally invest in brands, and why living close to his office is key to work-life balance. This episode is presented by ZoomEssence, the cool-tech powder flavor people.

Show notes:

2:43: Interview: Mike Kirban, Co-Founder/CEO, Vita Coco -- In an interview recorded at Vita Coco headquarters in New York City, Taste Radio editor/producer Ray Latif spoke with Kirban about the development of the coconut water brand and why he believes "inexperience served [him] well" over the years. He also discussed why he takes a hands-on approach in his day-to-day leadership of the company, how confidence plays into that role, and why Vita Coco offers unlimited vacation to its employees. Later, Kirban explained that you "have to be willing to make mistakes" when considering innovation, why he's looking at potential brand acquisitions "all the time," how he missed out on investing in Bai and why he sold his stock in Amazon in 2000.

Brands in this episode: Vita Coco, Runa, WhistlePig, Sir Kensington's, Beanfields, Zico, Bai, Red Bull

Mike Kirban is unquestionably one of the most successful beverage entrepreneurs of all time, but if our interview with him offers any indication, his legacy is far from complete.

Since co-founding Vita Coco in 2004, Kirban has guided the brand to domination in the coconut water space. Distributed over four continents, Vita Coco holds a 26 percent share of the global market for coconut water, which is estimated to be worth $2.5 billion, according to market research firm Euromonitor. Success has attracted many suitors over the years -- PepsiCo was reportedly in talks to acquire the brand in 2017 -- yet Vita Coco has remained independent, a key component of Kirban’s plan to build upon the company’s foundation and develop a beverage platform focused on better-for-you brands.

“My goal over the next couple of years is to have four or five totally unique brands in-house under (Vita Coco parent company) All Market Inc. that play in different sub-segments of this healthier, functional drinks market,” Kirban said. “Coke and Pepsi are really good at certain things, and they’ve done quite a lot of M&A in this functional beverage space, but their share of better-for-you beverages continues decline. It’s not what they’re good at. It’s not what they’re focused on. I believe that opens up this lane for us to just drive right through as we should be the ones who really create the better-for-you beverage company for the next generation.”

Within our wide-ranging interview, Kirban also discussed his leadership style, why he hires based on attitude over skill set and how Vita Coco considers innovation and potential acquisitions. He also explained what motivates him to personally invest in brands, and why living close to his office is key to work-life balance. This episode is presented by ZoomEssence, the cool-tech powder flavor people.

Show notes:

2:43: Interview: Mike Kirban, Co-Founder/CEO, Vita Coco -- In an interview recorded at Vita Coco headquarters in New York City, Taste Radio editor/producer Ray Latif spoke with Kirban about the development of the coconut water brand and why he believes “inexperience served [him] well” over the years. He also discussed why he takes a hands-on approach in his day-to-day leadership of the company, how confidence plays into that role, and why Vita Coco offers unlimited vacation to its employees. Later, Kirban explained that you “have to be willing to make mistakes” when considering innovation, why he’s looking at potential brand acquisitions “all the time,” how he missed out on investing in Bai and why he sold his stock in Amazon in 2000.

Brands in this episode: Vita Coco, Runa, WhistlePig, Sir Kensington’s, Beanfields, Zico, Bai, Red Bull